A review by minimicropup
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Once I got into this I was flyying through these pages. 
 
Energy: Needy. Unwise. Oblivious. 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Atlanta, Georgia.
Perspective: Our MC, fresh from being ghosted by a casual fling they hoped would evolve into something more, distracts themselves deep diving into a national true crime case. 
 
🐕 Howls: Ending felt a little too shock-value and kind of abrupt.
🐩 Tail Wags: Absolute mess of a main character. Unhinged characters. Cringe and wtf moments. Pacing and plot. Portrayal of true crime culture (the good and the bad). 
 
🤔 Random Thoughts:
Hannah (MC) is so easy to dislike, but somehow, I wasn’t always rooting against her. I loved how she felt believable and was self-aware enough to recognize some unhealthy behaviours while being so oblivious to her other ones. If you're not a fan of unlikeable characters you might hate this. 
 
This gave me some insight into why someone would have serial killer romance fascinations beyond ‘they’re just messed up people’. It’s so fun watching Hannah unravel that I felt a little guilty! 
 
I loved the love letter aspect and that we got to read them. And that they read like REAL letters. 
 
🤓 Reader Role: Almost like Hannah is talking to us directly, giving us the tea and sharing her story with us. Reading the letters William sends her.
🗺️ World-Building: Not the focus, but easily imagined if you want to without author killing it later with late-delivered details.
🔥 Fuel: Starting at the ending intrigue. How did Hannah end up in this situation? Why? What will happen to her? 
📖 Cred: Realistic, even hyper-realistic for the majority with suspended disbelief conclusion. 
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Punk music. True crime forums. Courthouse security. Donuts. Fast food. Corner booths. Hotel rooms. Bar stools. Cologne. Yoga pants.
  • Arrested development Millennial problems
  • Unlikeable, Her-own-worst-enemy, self-sabotaging-but-self-aware main character
  • Questionable decision making with consequences
  • Slowly unraveling train-wreck of a life
  • Mentally screaming at the main character
  • Serial killer charm or misunderstood main man? 
  • Exploring what drives true crime fascination
  • Beginning at the end storylines
  • Character driven narratives
  • Cringe, second hand embarrassment
  • Light explorative psychological commentary of women who ‘fall in love’ with the wrong men
  • Sitting in on a murder trial
  • Snippets of love letters to and from an accused murderer
  • Misguided amateur sleuthing, spying, eavesdropping
  • Unhinged dark romance
 
Content Heads-Up: Unrequited love, romantic rejection. Serial murder. Violence against women. Loneliness. True crime toxicity. Unemployment, firing. Financial insecurity. Stalking. Anxiety. Drugging. Suicidal/victimized ideation. Potential false accusation. Confinement. Sexual content (on page, descriptive; consenting, serial killer fantasies). Infidelity, serial cheating. Drug use, overdose (brief recall, off page).
 
Rep: White and ambiguously described Americans. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Diverse body sizes.
 
📚 Format: Library Digital
 
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